Automatic shifting device.



PATENTED MAY 30, 1905.

E. H C S T E P um am AUTOMATIC SHII'TINC DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 3, 1903.`

3 SHEETS-SEEE? 2.

I fNVENT/e. amaf BY l l QWQQQLM ATTORNEY.

No. 791.109. I PATENTED MAY so, 1905.

G. B. PETSGHE. Y AUTOMATIC SHIPTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 3, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

l n ls v 5 WTNESSES NVENTOR.

Q ATTORNEYY UNITED STAT-Es Patented May 30, 1905.

PATENT OEEICE.

GUSTAV BERNHARD PETSCHE, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AS- SIGNOR TOSOUTHWARK FOUNDRY & MACHINE COMPANY, OF PHILA- DELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ACORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

`AUTOMATIC SHllFTlNG-DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 791,109, dated May 30,1905.

Application filed September 3, 1903. Serial No. 171,763.

1'0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUs'rAv BERNHARD PET- sCHE, a subject of the Emperorof Germany, residingin the city and county of Philadelphia,

in the State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Auto- 4 matic Shifting Devices, of which the followingis a true and exact description, reference be'- ing had to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part thereof. n

My invention relates to the construction of engines or other machineshaving a certain element or elements normally occupying a fixedrelationship to the other parts of the machine, but having also acapacity for adj ustment to vary the operation of the machine;

p and my invention consists, primarily, in selecting in such adjustablemechanism or providing such mechanism with a part to which the normaloperation of the machine tends to give motion in alternately oppositedirections, and in providing for'securing in such part in its normallyfixed relationship to the adjustable mechanism, and also for permittingitfto move under the alternating impulses communicated to it byconnecting it with a piston moving in a cylinder having non-returninlet-` ports at both ends and independent exit-ports, which exit-portsare controlled by valve mechanism normally closing both ports, butcapable of adjustment to open either port at will. This valve mechanismmay of course be operated by hand and at will; but preferably I connectit with and actuate it by a governor operated by or in .connection withthe machine, and by preferencealso I pro-- vide valve-actuatingmechanism of such character that after either port has been opened theconsequent shifting of the piston and of the movable part connectedtherewith, under the alternating impulses communicated'to the said part,will gradually tend to close the valve, and thereby secure the pistonand attached parts inthe new position to which they have moved until afurther shifting ofthe valve mechanism controlling the exit-ports again`opens one of such ports and permits a fresh movement of the controlledparts.

lter-jacket of the engine.

The nature and to some extent the range of application of my inventionwill be best understood as the same is explained in connection with thedrawings forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is aside elevation of a gas-engine provided with my improvement, Fig. 2being afdiagrammatic perspective of the adjusting mechanism connectedwith said engine l' and by means of which in the constructionillustrated the governor controlling the ad- 'mission to the gas-engineis caused to vary its operation on the admission-valve on the occurrenceof abnormalconditions and by means of which also the water-supply to thejacket ,of the gas-engine is caused to vary under simi- 4of thegas-engine cylinder and the parts con- .nected therewith, as shown inFig. l.

Fig'. 6 is anelevation through the gas-engine cylinder, taken partlythrough the water-supply pipe and partly through the admission-port,`approximately on the section-line indicated at 6 6 in Fig. l, said viewshowing the mechanism for varying the load on the governor and forvarying the water-supply to the wa- Fig. 7 is a crosssectional viewtaken approximately on the line 7 v7 of Fig. 5, showing the exit-valvemechanism of the engine.l Fig. 8 is an elevation showing the applicationof my invention to a steam-engine for the purpose of adjusting thevalve-link mechanism to vary the cut-olf. Fig. 9 is an elevation showingthe application of my invention to another form of steam-engine andvalve-link mechanism. Fig. 10 is a plan of the feed-cylinder device asshown in Fig.

9. Fig. 11 is an elevation showing the applicylinder of which is shownat B, the cylinderl being formed with the usual water-jacket B', theportion surrounding the head B2 and body B of the engine-cylinder beingconnected by a conduit B2.

B4 indicates the inlet-port through which water enters the jacket B',the water flowing out through any convenient conduit.v

BG indicates the eXit-conduit-leading from the cylinder, and B7 theinlet-conduit leading into the cylinder.

C3, Fig. 1,is the connecting-rod coupled with the piston (not shown) ofthe gas-engine and leading to a crank D, attached to the, shaft D2, Dindicating a {1y-wheel attached to said shaft.

Ci, Fig. 5, indicates a rearward extension of the piston-rod, which maybe assumed for the present construction to connect with and actuate ablowing-engine, (not shown,) though of course the gas-engine may becoupled to drive any other kind of machine. As shown, a bevel gear-wheelK on shaft D2 communicates motion through another bevel gearwheel K to ashaft K2, which shaft, through gear-wheels KG and K7, (see Figs. 1 and6,) communicates motion to a shaft K8, to which are secured theeccentrics which actuate the gas-engine valves, the shaft K2 alsocommunicating motion through gear-wheels indicated at K3 and K4, Fig. 1,to the shaftf 4, on which is secured an eccentric which through strap F4and link F2, Fig. 13, communicates motion through cross-head F',connected with the link F3 by link F2 to a valve or other part-forinstance, the admission-valve of a blowing-engine, the valve-stem beingshown at F. Theupperpartof thelink Fais coupled by a link F,5 to the armF4' of the lever F6 F2, pivoted at F7, and which lever, it will readilybe seen, is by the regular operation of the machine subjected toalternately opposite impulses tending to move it on its pivot. rlhelever is normally secured in tlXed position by the rod F2, extendingfrom its end and connecting it with the piston G, litting in theHuid-cylinder G', said cylinder having at each end entrance-ports G2 G2,fitted with non-return valves, as shown at g2 and G4. Exitports Gand G6also. lead from the ends of the cylinder G' and, as shown, communicatewith the cylindrical valve-chamber G7, in which moves a cylindricalvalve G8, which in normal position closes both exit-ports and which whenmoved up or down opens, respectively, the lower and upper exit-ports. Ialso show formed in the casting of the cylinder G the small dash-potcylinder, (indicated at G2,) a passage G42 G44 connecting the top andbottom of this cylinder and the regulating-valve G42 being situated inthe passage to afford the proper resistance to the passage of Huidthrough it.

G13 is the dash-pot piston moving in the cylinder G", and, as shown,connected by a piston-rod H3 with one end of the lever H', which at anintermediate point is connected by a rod H2 with a valve G2 and at itsother end by a rod H with a lever F". As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, a rodH4, forming virtually a continuation of the rod H2, passes through astufling-box in the bottom I' of a cylinder I and connects in saidcylinder with a piston H5, which is normally pressed downward by theaction of a spring I2, abutting against an adjustable head I2. Into thelower end ofthe cylinder I enters a Huid-conduit I4, which communicateswith some receptacle for Huid under pressure-for instance, the receiverof a blowing-engine.

At I2,.I have shown a hand-wheel screwing on a prolongation of rod H4,by which said rod can be raised against the pressure of the spring whennecessary.

J is a rod pivoted to the lever F2 at one end and to a lever J at theother end, the lever J being secured to a rock-shaft J2, which at onepoint hasconnected with it a lever J2, connected in turn by a link J4with a sliding weight J5, which moves on a lever L2, which (see Fig. 6)is connected to move with the sliding weight L' of a governor, the ballsof which are indicated at L and the spindle of which is indicated atK4', said spindle being, as shown, actuated through the worm-gears K40and K9 lfrom the shaft K2. The lever L2 is shown in Fig. 6 as havingattached to it a piston-rod L2, which communicates with a piston (notshown) in a dash-pot cylinder L4, and lever L2 also connects, throughrod L", with the arm M of a lever M M', pivoted at M2, and the end M ofwhich acts as a trip for the hook to be described as actuating theadmission-valve. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 6, the rock-shaft J2 hasalso attached to it a lever-arm J '4, which,through alink J7, actuatesthe regulating-valve J2, which controls the flow of water through theport B' into the jacket of the cylinder.

I have already stated that the shaft K2 has attached to it theeccentrics which actuate the valves of the gas-engine. These eccentricsare indicated (see Figs. 6 and 7) at N and R. The eccentric N, throughthe eccentric-strap N and link N2, actuates the lever N", pivoted at N4,and has pivotally attached to it the valveactuating hook, (indicated atN",) the rear extending end of the hook-lever coming at each operationin contact with the lever-arm M. Also pivoted at N4 is the lever-arm O,which is engaged by the hook N5 and has attached to it the cam indicatedat O', this cam communicating motion through the cam-lever O2, pivotedat O2, to the valve-spindle I), having secured upon it the sleeve I, thespindle I), carrying the valve P2, which controls the entrance of thepassage Q, and the sleeve P', carrying the valve P3, which controls theentrance of the passage Q', one of said passages serving for theadmission of air and the other IOO for the admission of gas. A lever Ohas depending from it a spindle O4, carrying a piston O5, which fits ina cylinder O6, the rod Ot extending through the cylinder and havingattached to its lower end a spring-bearing O7, between which and thebottom of the cylinder O6 is situated the spring O8.

The eccentric R, through the strap R' and link R2, communicates motionthrough the lever-arm R3 to the cam R2, which, through the cam-lever R5,pivoted at R, actuates the valve-spindle S of the exhaust-valve S',controlling the exhaust-port Q2.

It will be readily understood from the valves and connections showninFigs. 6 and 7 that the exit-valve is positively actuated-alwaysyopening and closing at the same time, and that the admission-valves willbe opened as the hook N", which engages the end of the lever O, is movedupward and until the lever N6 comes in contact with the trip-lever M',when the hook will 'be movedout to disengage the arm O, and the springN8 will move it instantly downward, the cam motion being communicated toclose the admission-valves. It will also be obvious that the position ofthe trip-lever M' will be shifted by the action of the governor so as tovary the cut-oli and that the action of theV governor again will bematerially varied by the movementof the weight J 2 ony the lever L2.Again, it willbe obvious that as long as the ypressure communicated tothe cylinder I through the conduit I4 is constant it will be balanced bythe spring I3, and the piston H5 will remain in iixed position; also,that any variation ofthe pressure will cause the piston H5 to moveeither up or down in the cylinder until the pressures of the iiuid andof the spring are in equilibrium. Assuming the'pressurein the cylinderto increase, the upward movement of the piston H5 will carry with it theattached end of the leverarm H' and cause an upward movement ofthe valveG2, which upward movement will uncover the lower exit-port, whereuponeach downward impulse imparted to the lever FS will force out a certainquantity Vof the Huid in the lower part oi the cylinder Gr', its placebeing supplied by the further inward flow of iiuid from the upperradmission-port, and as this admission-port is iitted with a non-returnvalve, which excludes the backward flow'o'f water through it, thedownward motion of the piston Gr and of the lever-arm Fs will beprogressive until the downward motion of the lever-arm, acting throughthe rod H on the lever H', will again'restore the Valve G8 to its normalposition, closing both exit-ports. It will also be seen that thedownward motion of the lever F 8, acting through rod J and lever J',rock-shaft J2, and through the levers attached to that shaft, will shiftthe weight J 5 on the governor-lever L2 and will also shift the valveJ2, so as to vary the iiow of water through the jacket of the cylinder.Obviously a fall the reverse effect to that described for the increaseof pressure, the shifting of the valve GS opening the upper exhaust-portof the cylinder and permitting the progressive upward movement of thelever F2 under the intermittent impulses imparted to it and until thevalve is again restored to normal position, closing the ports. InFigs. 8to 12, inclusive, I have shown the application of my invention tosteam-engines having link-motions or" diiierent constructions. Thus inFig. 8 the engine-cylinder (indicated at Z) is provided with asteam-inlet valve p, which is actuated through a spindle and link(indicated at T2) by the link n2, connected by an eccentric-strap n'with an eccentric n on a shaft Z2, which is ofcourse driven by theengine. The link n2 in addition to its connection with the eccentric nis connected by a link T3 with the arm T2 of a crank T2T', pivoted at Tand having its arm T' connected with the piston-rod F2, extending from apiston, such 'as Gr, situated in the cylinder G', which is similar` inall respects to the cylinder Gr' already described. In the constructionof Fig. 8 a guide e' is supplied ior the rod H3 in place of the cylinderI; but the rod H3, as before, is connected with a link H', which at anintermediate point is connected with the valve-spindle H2 and its otherend by a link H with the arm T' of the crank-lever T' T2.

by a link Z5 with the lever Z2, which is connected to move with theweight Z' of a governor Z, K" indicating the governor-spindle. It willbe obvious that in this construction variations in speed communicated tothe governor will cause an up or down motion to be given to the leverZ2, which up or down motion will be communicated, through .theconnections described, to the lever H' and through it to thevalvecontrolling the exit-ports of the cylinder G'. It is also obviousthat the crank T' T2 has on each revolution of the shaft Z2 intermittentimpulses in the opposite direction imparted to it which are resisted bythe pis- .ton in the cylinder G' and which when either of the exit-portsof said cylinder are opened permits an'intermittent motion of said crankwith, of course, a corresponding variation in the cut-off of the valvep. It is also obvious that through'the link H the valve controlling Therod H2 is connected IOO the exit-ports of the cylinder G' is returned.

to normal position, closing the ports `at eachl adjustment of thelink-motion.

f In the construction shown in Fig. 9 motion is communicated to thesteam-admission valvel Z' of the cylinder Z' from the eccentric n, theeccentric-stra s n',eccentricrod n2 rock-lever u,"

adjustable sleeve u', and connecting-rod u2, the said rod u2 and sleeveu' beingheld'in normally operative position through the link w3, which,through piston-rod F2, connects with the piston end of cylinder g, whichis substantially like the cylinder Gr' except in the differentarrangement of the valve-chamber G7 and dashpot G9. As shown in Figs. 9and 10, the valve controlled by the spindle H2 and the lever H, coupledthereto, is actuated through the link Z5 and lever-arm Z2, connected tothe weight Z' of the governor Zand by the connecting-rod H, whichcouples the lever H to the rod U2. It is obvious that in thisconstruction the sleeve U tends at each oscillation of the lever U tomove at one time up and at the other time down on said lever, but is'prevented from such movement by its connections with the piston incylinder g, and it will be obvious without further description how thegovernor in this case, as in the case of Fig. 8, operates upon the valvecontrolling the exit-ports, permitting the adjustment of the link-motionwhich will vary the cut-off of the valve.

In the modification shown in-Figs. 11 and 12 the piston-rod F9 isconnected to a slotted link V, pivoted at V' and having moving in itsslot the slide V2' of a link V3, the other end of which is pivotallyconnected with a link V4, secured at one end to the swinging lever V5and at the other end to the connecting-rod C4, the link V3 connecting,through rod BG, with the valve p2 of the cylinder b3. The governorleverZ2 connects, through link Z5, with the rod H3, to which is connected oneend of the lever H', the other end being connected with the slotted linkV, while the valve-stem H2, as before, Yis connected at an intermediatepoint. In this case it is obvious that at each revolution of the engineimpulses in opposite directions are given to the slotted link V and thatthe link is held in place by its connection with the piston G exceptwhen the controllingvalve is actuated by the governor, when the linkwill be shifted in position and the cut-off of the valve varied.

In another application, iled by me September 3, 1903, Serial No.171,764, I have shown and described an air-compressor or blowingengineactuated by a gas-engine and in which the device which forms, broadly,the subjectmatter of this application is shown as controlling theclosing movement of the admissionvalve of the compressor and also thecut-oif of the admission to the gas-engine and regulation of water-flowto the jacket thereof substantially as shown in the drawings of thiscase, which relate to the gas-engine construction, and in my saidcopending application I have specifically claimed the features relatingto the combination between the blowing-engine and the gas-engine whichare shown or indicated in the present drawings.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine, mechanism for shifting a machine element by progressivesteps consisting of a part or device to which the operation of themachine tends to give motion. in alternately opposite directions, saiddevice having the capacity to move under said alternating impulses, incombination with a machine element connected to and moved by said devicewhen moving under the alternating impulses, a fluid-cylinder havingnon-return inlet-ports and independent exit-ports at each end, means forclosing said exit-ports and for opening` either of them, and a piston inthe cylinder positively connected with the device to which the machinetends to give an alternating motion.

2. In a machine, mechanism for shifting a machine element by progressivesteps consisting of a part or device to which the operation of themachine tends to give motion in alternately opposite directions, saiddevice having the capacity to move under said alternating impulses, incombination with a machine element connected to and moved by said devicewhen moving under the alternating impulses, a fluid-cylinder havingnon-return inlet-ports and independent exit-ports at each end, means forclosing said exit-ports and for opening either of them, a governorconnected to the eXit-port-closing mechanism and whereby it is shiftedfrom a normal position closing both ports, to a position to open one orthe other, and a piston in the cylinder positively connected with thedevice to which the machine tends to give an alternating motion.

3. In a machine, mechanism for shifting a machine element by progressivesteps consisting of a part or device to which the operation of themachine tends to give motion in alternately opposite directions, saiddevice having the capacity to move under said alternating impulses, incombination with a machine element connected to and moved by said devicewhen moving under the alternating impulses, a fluid-cylinder havingnon-return inlet-ports and independent exit-ports at each end, means forclosing said exit-ports and for opening either of them, means movingwith the device to which the alternating impulses are communicated andwhich when said device is permitted to move, acts to gradually shift thevalve-closing mechanism to position to close the eXit-ports, and apiston in the cylinder positively connected with the device to which themachine tends to give an alternating motion.

4. In a machine having a valve or valves and valve-actuating mechanism,and a device for varying the movements of the valves, mechanism forshifting a machine element by progressive steps consisting of thecombination of a part or device to which the operation of the enginetends to give motion in alternately opposite directions, said devicehaving the capacity to move under said alternating impulses, connectingmechanism whereby the movement of said device under the alternatingimpulses shifts the device for varying the movements of the valves, aHuid-cylinder having non-return inlet-ports and independ- IOO . varyingthe movements of the valves,fmech anism for shifting a machine elementby progressive steps consistlng of the combination of a vpart or deviceto which the operation of thel engine tends to give motion inalternately opposite directions, said device having the capacity to moveunder said alternating impulses, connecting mechanism whereby themovement of said device under the alternating impulses shifts the devicefor varying the movements of the valves, a fluid-cylinder having non-return inlet-ports and independent exit-ports at each en d, means forclosing said exit-ports and for opening either of them, a governorconnected to the eXit-port-closing mechanism and whereby it is shiftedfrom a normal position closing both ports, to a position to open one orthe other, and a piston in the cylinder positively connected with thedevice to which the machine tends to give an alternating motion.

6. In an engine, having a valve or valves and valve-actuating mechanismand a device for varying the movements of the valves, mechanism forshifting a machine element by progressive steps consisting of thecombination of a part or device to which the operation of the enginetends to give motion in alternatively opposite directions', said'devicehaving the capacity to move under said alternating impulses, connectingmechanism whereby the movement of said device under the alternatingimpulses shifts the device for varying the movements of the valves, aHuid-cylinder having non return inletports and independent exit-ports ateach end, means for closing said exit-ports and for opening either ofthem, means moving with the device to which the alternating impulses arecommunicated and which, when said device is permitted to move, acts togradually shift the valve-closing mechanism to position to close theexit-ports, and a piston in the cylinder positively connected with thedevice to which the machine tends to give an alternating motion.

7. In an engine having a valve or valves and valve link mechanism foractuating the same, said link mechanism incorporating an adjustableelement which tends to move in alternately opposite directions duringeach operation of the link mechanism and which when allowed to moveunder said impulses varies the operation of the valve, the combinationof a Huid-cylinder having non-return entranceports leading from eachend, a piston moving in said cylinder and connected to move with theadjustable valve link element when it moves under the alternatingimpulses aforesaid, valve mechanism normally closing both exit-ports ofthe cylinder and adapted to open either port, a speed-governor, aconnection fromsaid governor to the lexit-valve mechanism of thecylinder whereby one or the other of the exit-ports are opened when thespeed varies from normal, and means for closing the exit-ports as theadjustable element shifts its position consisting of a connection fromsaid adjustable .element to the exit-valve mechanism.

GUSTAV BERNHARD IETSCHE.

Witnesses: CHAs. F. MYERS, D. STEWART.

